We’ve all seen them plastered across LinkedIn profiles and startup pitches: lean and agile. But these are just buzzwords for everyday entrepreneurs like you and me. Sure, the “lean startup method” folks might recognize the picture below, but let’s ditch the jargon and get down to real-world definition — ADAPTATION!
Imagine zooming through space in your awesome rocket, powered by dreams and money. You’re headed straight for the moon, feeling super confident. But what if a giant space rock suddenly comes flying at you? Hustling isn’t gonna cut it! You need to dodge, tweak course, and maybe even do a total flip to avoid getting smashed. That quick thinking and adjusting, that’s what adaptation is all about.
It’s super important because:
- Tech is like a wild river, not a bathtub: New stuff pops up constantly, and if you stick to your old plan, no matter how great it seemed, you’ll get swept away. Adaptability lets you ride the waves, using shiny new tools to your advantage.
- People change their minds quicker than a chameleon: Spent months building the perfect feature? They might not even care! Adaptability lets you listen to what people actually want and change your stuff accordingly. Remember, it’s about building what they need, not what you think they need.
- Competition is like a monster with endless heads: Just when you defeat one rival, another shows up with a new trick. Adaptability keeps you one step ahead, constantly improving your stuff to stay on top.
Adaptation is always the best word in businesses, companies die because they can’t adapt, or not quick enough. Though this word is way more important when it comes to tech startups since the tech scene is way more volatile and unpredictable. Hence, as a startup, you’ll have to adapt 10–100x better than a traditional business, or things will spiral out of control.
1. Quality over Quantity: Your 100 Loyal Fans are Worth More Than a Million Uninterested Faces
Forget chasing vanity metrics! It’s better to have a hundred rock-solid customers who love your product and sing its praises than a million inactive accounts clogging up your database. You’ll always get complaints and feature requests, but prioritize the ones that come up frequently and promise a decent return on investment. Remember, happy customers are your best marketing team.
- Airbnb: Instead of chasing mass user numbers, they focused on quality listings and stringent host verification, building a community of trust and premium experiences. This translated to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty, fueling organic growth.
- Zapier: They prioritize solving real customer problems with their automation platform. By laser-focusing on user needs and offering specific integrations, they carved a niche in a crowded market, attracting engaged users.
2. Bugs Happen, Deal with It: Embrace the Launch, Imperfections and All
Unless you’re building software for high-stakes financial institutions, expecting a bug-free launch is just setting yourself up for disappointment. In fact, a polished, “perfect” product might even mean you’re too late to the game! By the time you’re done, others already took up your entire pizza, forget about getting a slice.
Embrace the iterative process. Release, learn from feedback, fix the bugs, and iterate. Remember, losing a customer here and there happens; focus on acquiring new ones while keeping acquisition costs manageable.
- Facebook: Launched initially with bare-bones features but constantly iterated based on user feedback. This agile approach allowed them to adapt to user needs and stay ahead of the curve, leaving behind competitors who clung to “perfect” launches.
- Dropbox: Faced internal debate about the initial simplicity of their file-sharing tool. But their decision to launch early and learn from users turned out to be their strongest move. This rapid iteration led to features like selective sync and file recovery, making them a household name.
Sometimes it isn’t even about the bugs, it’s about delaying the launch, when it’s delayed the micro and macroeconomic market conditions might have already changed.
Imagine having an exciting product launch, just because you’re delayed by two months, your competitor went viral on TikTok, then where’s your comeptitive landscape now?
3. Be Ready to Pivot Like a Ballerina: Agility Means Embracing Change
The only real mistake you can make is building a product without considering future flexibility, scalability, and the ability to adapt. Everything else, from features to your business model, should be open for discussion and ready to pivot on a dime if the market demands it. Think of yourself as a dancer, gracefully maneuvering and adjusting to the changing beat of the market.
- Netflix: Originally a DVD rental service, they pivoted to online streaming when they saw the shift in consumer behavior. This bold move, while initially met with skepticism, secured their position as the king of streaming.
- Instagram: Started as a simple photo-sharing app but pivoted to include features like Stories and Reels, adapting to changing trends and user preferences. This constant evolution kept them relevant and engaging, attracting new generations of users.
A lot of times startups often forget about this: It’s the value that you’re providing, not the product, and never the feature. The product should service your company value and vision, not the other way round.
Bonus Tip: Be data-driven, not dogma-driven. While these principles offer valuable guidance, remember that your unique context and data-driven insights should inform your decisions. Don’t hesitate to adjust your approach based on what works for your customers and market.
These are just a few bites of wisdom from the lean and agile buffet. Remember, these frameworks are not rigid recipes but flexible tools to help you navigate the messy, wonderful world of startups.
So, ditch the jargon, embrace the learning curve, and get out there and build something remarkable. The world needs your unique contribution, imperfections and all.
What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear more! Feel free to reach out to me via LinkedIn or Twitter for shorter tips on how to craft the next viral product.
Moon is Founder & CEO of DigitSense, a digital product studio that design, develop, and market digital products like a tech startup on its own, where we blend cutting-edge tech with user-centric magic to transform your vision into reality.
